Coin controlled timed service assembly



Feb. 27, 1968 K. WILCOX 3,

COIN CONTROLLED TIMED SERVICE ASSEMBLY Filed July 25, 1966 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 MOIVEY 011E MONY "IN HAND" comm wwr j K. WILCOX Feb. 27, 1968 COIN CONTROLLED TIMED SERVICE ASSEMBLY 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 25, 1966 *iii @iiiMg2;

24 l i mmw Feb. 27, 1968 K. WILCOX COIN CONTROLLED TIMED SERVICE ASSEMBLY 5 Sheets-Sheet '5 Filed July 25, 1966 United States Patent 3,37 0,686 CGIN ONTROLLED TIMED SERVICE ASSEMBLY Kenneth Wilcox, Wolverhampton, England, assignor to Keypark Limited, London, England, a British company Filed July 25, 1966, Ser. No. 567,423

Claims priority, application Great Britain, July 30, 1965,

7 Claims. (Cl. 1949) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A coin controlled, time base actuating mechanism having a fixed speed motor driving an impulse producing means operatively connected to drive a bidirectional stepping switch in one direction and a coin operated impulse producing means operative to drive the stepping switch in the opposite direction. The stepping switch is operably connected to release manual control means, after the stepping switch has moved a predetermined number of steps from a starting position, to start the driving motor. Further means are actuated by the stepping switch, upon return to its starting position from the direction in which it was displaced by the coin operated impulse producing means, to release the manual control means for its service completing function.

This invention relates to coin-controlled mechanism, and more particularly to coin controlled mechanism enabling payment to be made for services on a time basis, as, for example, in the parking of vehicles.

It is an object of the invention to provide a coin-controlled mechanism which enables payment to be made on the basis of actual time involved, not on a preliminary estimate of time expected.

According to the invention, in a coin-controlled mechanism enabling payment to be made for services on a time basis there are provided, in combination, a driving motor having a fixed speed and driving at least one impulse-producing member operative to actuate in one direction a bl-CllIClIlOI1El1 electrical stepping switch, coin-operated impulse-producing means operative to actuate the stepping switch in the opposite direction, manual control means operable to initiate operations associated with the commencement and completion of the service, means 0perated by the stepping switch when it has moved a predetermined number of steps from a starting position in the direction in which it is moved by the coin-operated impulse-producing means, to release the manual control means for its service commencement function and to start the driving motor, further means operable by the stepping switch when returned to its starting position to release the manual control means for its service completing function, said further means being operated only when the stepping switch returns to its starting position in the direction in which it is moved by the coin-operated impulseproducing means, so that the said stepping switch passes through the starting position in the opposite direction without operating said means.

The invention is hereinafter described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a diagram showing the essential elements of one form of coin-controlled mechanism according to the invention; and

FIGURES 2A and 2B are two parts of an electrical circuit diagram.

Referring to FIGURE 1, 0f the drawings, the mechanism shown therein is particularly suitable for use in connection with an automatic vehicle parking installation in which vehicles driven on to a lift are transferred to parking bays in a tower, a preliminary payment permitting 3,37%,585 Patented F ch. 27, 1968 the necessary operation of the lift to park a vehicle and a subsequent payment permitting the necessary operation of the lift to return the vehicle to the collecting point.

Referring to FIGURE 1 of the drawing, a manually operable control unit 10 is provided to initiate the movements of a lift (not shown), the said control unit being normally locked against movement to elfect a controlling operation. The release of the control unit is effected by a counter unit 11 including a system of bi-directional electrical stepping switches which are stepped in one direction by electrical pulses produced by the insertion of coins in a coin-box 12 and in the opposite direction by electrical pulses produced by a pulse-generating device 13 driven by a synchronous electric motor 14 serving as a timemeasuring device. The pulse generating device 13, as shown in the drawing, may comprise a plurality of cams 15, 16, 17 formed respectively with different numbers of lobes (4, 3 and 2 respectively as shown on the drawings), and each acting to close a pair of electrical contacts '18, 19 each time a lobe on the cam 15, 16 or 17 engages a resilient arm 21 carrying the appropriate contact 18.

The counter unit drives a dial indicator 22 calibrated in units of coinage.

Referring now to FIGURE 2 of the drawings, the counter unit 11 comprises a tour-bank uni-selector the four banks of which are indicated at 23, 24, 25 and 26 respectively, and two solenoid-operated driving units 27 and 28 for the said uni-selector, one driving unit 27 being operative to drive the uni-selector in one direction, and the other driving unit 28 being operative to drive the said uni-selector in the opposite direction. The banks 23 and 24 are associated with one wiper arm unit which wipes over the contacts first of the bank 23 and then of the bank 24, and the banks 25, 26 are associated with a second wiper arm, moving with the first wiper arm, which similarly wipes first over the bank 25 and then over the bank 26.

The coin-box 12 includes cams 29, 30 and 31 driven respectively, in known manner, by the insertion of coins of different values, so as to make one complete revolution for each coin inserted, and to close electrical contacts during such revolution a number of times related to the value of the coin. For example, in apparatus designed for use with British currency, the usable coins may be the Sixpence, the shilling and the twoshilling piece, the cam 29 operated by a Sixpence having one lobe, the cam 30 operated by a shilling having two lobes, and the cam 31 operated by the two-shilling-piece having four lobes. The electrical contacts associated with each cam 29, 30 or 31 comprise a movable contact 32 connected to a negative power source 33 and a fixed contact 34 connected through the driving unit 27 to a positive power source 35. Thus, for each coin inserted in the coin box 12, the uniselector wipers are stepped in one direction (hereinafter called the credit direction), by a number of steps equal to the multiple of 6 represented by the value of the coin.

The cams 15, 16 and 17 of the pulse generating device 13 are driven by the synchronous motor 14 through a gear train 36 which rotates the camshaft 37 on which they are mounted once per hour so that the contacts 18, 19 controlled by the cam 15 are closed once every fifteen minutes, the contacts 18, 19 controlled by the cam 16 are closed every twenty minutes, and the contacts 18, 19 controlled by the cam 17 are closed every thirty minutes.

All of the moving contacts 18 are connected to the negative power source 33, the fixed contact 1? of the pair controlled by the cam 15 is connected to positions 1-9 inclusive on the first bank 23 of the uniselector, the fixed contact 19 of the pair controlled by the cam 16 is 3 connected to positions 18 inclusive of that bank, andthe fixed contact 19 of the pair controlled by the cam 17 is connected to positions 19 to 25 inclusive on the bank 23 and to all the positions on the second bank 24 of the uniselector. The common contacts 38 and 39 of the uniselector banks 23 and 24 are bothconnected through the coil of a relay DSR1 to the positive power source 35, and operation of the relay DSR1 closes contacts dsrl in the circuit of the driving unit 28 to cause operation of that driving unit to cause stepping of the uniselector wipers in the direction opposite to that in which it is stepped by the driving unit 27 (hereinafter called the debit direction). It will be observed that the stepping of the uni-selector wipers in the debit direction will take place at minute intervals during the first ten steps, at 29 minute intervals during the next eight steps, and at half-hour intervals thereafter. The common contacts 41, 42 of the uniselector banks 25 and 26 are both connected to the negative power source 33, various positions thereon being connected into circuits hereinafter described.

The apparatus shown in the drawings is designed to function with an initial payment of two shillings. When the apparatus is inoperative, the uniselector wipers rare at the position 10 on the banks 23 and 25, and the inser- 'tion of two shillings steps them to positions 6. At this position, the bank 25 makes a circuit through a relay CLR4, and that relay closes contacts clrl to provide a holding circuit for the said relay, closes locking contacts 7 (not shown) to energise a solenoid (not shown) to release locking pin for the control unit 10 and opens contacts CllZ to isolate the credit driving unit 27 from the coinbox 12. The control unit 10 includes a switch 43 which can now be moved to the position indicated by the word park on the drawing, energising a relayEF3 which closes contacts efl in the circuit of the relay DSR1, opens contacts ef3 in a circuit between the position 10 of the uniselector bank 25 and the relay CLR4, and closes contacts ef4 in a circuit between the said position 10 and a latch relay LRl, which circuit includes position 10 on the uniselector bank 25.

The movement of the control unit 10 operates the lift of the parking installation to transfer the vehicle to a parking bay. Since the common contacts 38 and 39 of the uniselector banks 23 and 24 are now connected through the relay DSR1 to the positive power source 35, the stepping of the uniselector causes a circuit to be made through'that relay each time the cam 15 closes its contacts 18, 19, closing the contacts asrl to energise the driving unit 28 and step the wipers in the debit direction until the said wipers return to the position 10, after which the stepping is controlled first by the cam 16 and then by the cam 17.

When the wipers have been stepped back to the position 10, a circuit is made through the closed contacts ef4 and relay LRl, the relay opening latch contacts lr2 in the holding circuit of the relay CLR4. The said relay CLR4 is thus de-energised opening contacts clrl, closing the contacts clr2 and also opening locking contacts (not shown) to re-lock the control unit.

Consequently, at any time after the uniselector wipers have passed the position 10 additional coins inserted in' the coin box 12 can step the uniselector wipers in the credit direction until it returns to position 10, energising the relay CLR4 through the now closed contacts ef3 to close the locking contacts (not shown), energise the switch released solenoid and allow the control unit to be moved to its other position. This causes the lift to operate to return the vehicle to the loading point.

if the use of the service is continued until the uniselector has stepped round to bring the wipers to the positions 24, the wiper associated with the fourth bank 26 completes a circuit through a relay DLR1 which opens contacts dlr2 in the circuit of the relay DSR1 and terminates the stepping of the uniselector.

If the Vehicle is required to be removed from the park- 4 ing installation before the uniselector wipers have reached the position 10 on the banks 23 and 25, the control unit 10 will not have been locked, so that the said control unit can be returned to the deliver position without insertion of further coins.

The latching relay LRl is also energised when the wipers are at each of the positions 7, 8, 9 and 11 of the uniselector bank 25, but, since, during the debit stepping of the uniselector wipers, the contacts ef3 are closed, this does not cause release of the relay CLR4'. When, however, the switch 43 is moved to the deliver position, a direct circuit is'made through the relay LRl and the contacts ef3 are opened, so that thecrelay CLR4 cannot re-close 7,

until the uniselector wipers again move to position 6.

The indicator 22 is coupled to the wiper shaft of the uniselector and is calibrated in money units so thatit shows what sum of money must be inserted at any time to return the uniselector to its initial position and enable the control unit 10 to be returned to the starting position.

It will be evident that, although the mechanism accord ing to the invention has been described with reference to an automatic vehicle parking installation, it may also be used in connection with the timing of other services the value of which is measured by time.

In a vehicle parking installation, a common pulse generating device13 and coin box 12 may control a number of separate stepping switch units 11 each controlling the placing of a vehicle in, and the removal of a vehicle from, a particular parking bay, bay selection means (not shown) being provided which close contacts srS in the.

connection between the coin box switches 29, 30, 31nd the driving unit 27 of the counter unit associated with that V 7 bay only when that bay is to be used.

I claim:

1. A coin-controlled mechanism enabling payment to be made for services on a time basis wherein there are provided, in combination, a driving motor having a fixed speed and driving at least one impulse-producing member operative to actuate in one direction a bi-directional electrical stepping switch, coin operated impulse-producing means operative to actuate the stepping switch in the opposite direction, manual control means operable 'to initiate operations associated with the commencement and completion of the service, means operated by the stepping switch when it has moved a predetermined number of steps from a starting position in the direction in which it is moved by the coin-operated impulse-producing means, to release the manual control means for its service commencement function and to start the driving motor further means operable by the-stepping switch when returned to its starting position to release the mannal control means for its service completing function, said fu-nther means being operated only when the stepping switch returns to its starting position in the direction in which it is moved by the coin-operated impulse-producing means, so that the said stepping switch passes through the starting position in the opposite direction without operating said means.

2. A coin-controlled mechanism according to claim 1,

wherein a plurality of impulse vproducing members are driven by the driving motor and produce different numbers of impulses per unit time, means being provided to actuate the stepping switch selectively by any one of the said members.

3. A coin-controlled mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the stepping switch is a uni-selector.

4. A coin-controlled mechanism according to claim 1, wherein an indicator is provided which is driven-by the stepping switch and provides an indication of the amount of money required to be paid to return the stepping switch to the starting position.

5. A coin-controlled mechanism according to claim 2 wherein the stepping switch is a uniselector.

6. A coin-controlled mechanism according to claim 2, wherein an indicator is provided which is driven by the 5 6 stepping switch and provides an indication of the amount References Cited of money required to be paid to return the stepping switch UNITED STATES PATENTS to the starting position.

7. A Gin It 11 d cha c laim 3, 2,271,752 2/1942 W1ckham 194-3 XR m 6 m m a co mg to 6 2,922,575 1/1960 Durant 194-9 wherein an'indicator is provided which is driven by the 5 stepping switch and provides an indication of the amount of money required to be paid to return the stepping WALTER P'lmary Exammer switch to the starting position. 

